Track-gage.



vPATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

A. P. NICHOLS. TRACK GAGE.

APPLIUATIoN-HLED SEPT. a. 190s.

NO MODEL.

Patented April Q6, 1904.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW B NICHOLS, OF TAOOMA, WASHINGTON.

TRACK-GAGE.

S-PECIFCAEIN'OI'D111g pari'. 0f Letters Patent No. 758,461, dated April26, 1904.

l Y Application filed September 8, 1903. Serial No. 172,328.' (Nomodel.)

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW l?. NIoHoLs, a citizen of the United States,residing in Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Gages, ofwhich the'followingis aspecification. Y lMy invention relates to.devices formeasur'- ing the gage or distance between the rails vof arailroad-track and for moving one of said rails to any required gage,and has for its objects, first, `to provide. a device which will measurethe gageaccurately; second, to provide a device by which one rail may beforced to any gage and whi-chwill indicate rthe gage at any time;third,- to .provide a` device which may bereadily disconnected andpacked into small space,zand,-fourth, to provide an adjustable devicewhich may be used with any of several sizes of. rails and which isquickly altered for anyrailwhatever. i I attain these objects by the`vmechanism illustrated in the accompanyingl drawings, in.which Figure 1is a plan; and Fig. v2 isa side elevation, of my device in use. -Fig. 3is an enlargedrplan, partly in section, of the -operating mechanism, theuppergset of links and the gage-indicator. being removed. f Fig. L is aperspective view. of thev adjustable rail-clawinverted, and Fig. 5;is'fayertical longitudinal section thereof. -Fig. .6`isan enlargeddetail vplan showing the gage-indicator. Fig. 7 is a` section on line 77,

Simil-ar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughoutthefseveral views. My device zconsistsof a claw engaging the iiXedrail,f a claw engaging the rail to be moved, anadjustable .togglefconnection between thek claws for forcing them either to-v ward,eachother vor apartfrom each other, and means for indicatingthe-distance between said claws. VL vThe invention also incl-ud es meansfor altering the clawsvsoas to t rails of various sizes... Y Y

The claw A, which is intended to engage the fixed' rail, consists ofacasting-with vfour lugs extending therefrom, as shown in Fig. 4l. Theinside pair of lugs B engage the inside of the rail and form the pointfrom which the gage is measured. The outside pair of lugs B encess C.

gage the outside of the rail and are placed sufficiently far from theinside pair of lugs to accurately span the head of the largest rail tobe used. f Within the casing A and near the outer lugs B, I provide arecess C, in which are placed a Yseries of .thin plates D, whicharerespectively pivoted on a pinfE, extending across the re-Icess'adjacent` to-and below lugs B. These plates D are arranged so thatone or more of them can be turned upon the pin E, so as to be againstthe outer lugs B', as indicated in Fig. 5, and reduce the distancebetween the outer and inner lugs more or less, as desired,

to make the claws iit the different sizes of rails. -A spring F isadapted to press against the hinged ends of the plates D, soas to holdthem` either in their raised or lowered positions. I find that aboutthree plates D are suiiicient for use on mostv railroads; but if moreare needed the pin E may be removed and additional plates Dplaced-within the re- The claw G, which is intended to engage the railto be moved, may be provided with only one inner lug H and one outer'lugH', but vis in other respects similar to the above-described claw A andshould have adjusting-plates D therein similar to those above described.

The claws A and Gr are respectively connected to the outer ends of rodsor pipes J, the inner ends of which are connected to adjustable hollowpieces K K', which are slidably mounted on and alined by a bar L, whichguides the' pieces K and keeps the claws A and G always in line. Thepiece K is pivotally connected by links l to nuts N at opposite sides ofbai` L, and piece K is also pivotally connected by links M to said nuts,the links and nuts forming a toggle joint -connection between the piecesK, the elbows of the toggle-joints being the nuts N, through which passthe right and left handed screw O, having a suitable hand-lever P on itsend. This screw O passes freely through an opening in the center of thebar L, but need not be secured to it in any way. By turningthe screw Othe nuts N are drawn ltoward or away from each other and the pieces K,siding on the bar L, correspondingly forced apart or toward each other,and

' each other, according to which way the screwrodO is turned.

Fig. 6 illustrates an automatic indicator, whereby the gage may be toldat any time. This consists of two metal pieces Q and R, respectivelysecured to the sliding pieces K K and dovetailed so as to allow one partto slide over the other and to keep in close contact with it. The lowerpiece Q has scale-marks thereon, and the inner end of the upper piece Rruns as an indicator therefor and shows when the gage is of the desiredlength. In the figure the upper piece R is slid farther than isordinarily necessary to show the gagemarks on the piece Q. The {igures8% and 9 indicate the position of the end of R when the distance betweenthe rails is respectively our feet eight and one-half inches and fourfeet nine inches. When the parts are secured together, it can be takento pieces by nnscrewing the claws A and Gr from the pipes J and byunscrewing the pipes J from the pieces K.

I have illustrated a toggle-joint connection between the parts; but I donot confine myself to the use of a toggle-joint, but could equally wellplace the right and left handed screw-bar at right angles to its presentposition and screwing direct into the pieces K or, in fact, any of thewell-known devices for shortening or lengthening the distance betweenthe claws.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isj l. Inatrack-gage, the combination with devices adapted to engage the rails,of an adjustable toggle connection between said devices.

2. In a track-gage, the combination with claws or devices adapted toengage the rails, of an adjustable toggle device for changing thedistance between said devices, and means for keeping said devices inalinement.

3. In a track-gage, the combination with devices adapted to engage therails, of a toggle device for changing the distance between saiddevices, and means for indicating the distance therebetween.

4. In a track-gage, the combination with a claw adapted to engage bothsides of a rail, of an adjustable plate adapted to change the width ofsaid claw, substantially as described.

5. In a track-gage, the combination with claws adapted to engage therails, of a sliding connection between said claws,and atoggle device forcontrolling said sliding connection.

6. In a track-gage, the combination with claws adapted to engage therails, of a connection between said claws, a toggle for controlling saidsliding connection, and means for indicating the distance between saidclaws.

7. In a track-gage, the combination with claws adapted to engage therails, of a toggle connection between said claws, and a handoperatedscrew mechanism whereby said sliding connection is controlled andoperated.

8. In a track-gage, the combination with claws adapted to engage therails, an adjustable connection between said claws, of a pair ofdovetailed pieces adapted to slide with respect to each other, andhaving an index thereon whereby the distance between said claws may beshown, said pieces being connected to opposite members of saidconnection.

9. In a track-tool, the combination of aclaw adapted to engage a fixedrail and having a broad surface along both'sides of said rail, of a clawadapted to engage the movable rail and having a narrow lsurface alongboth sides of said rail, and of means whereby said claws are drawntoward each other or are forced apart.

10. In a track-tool, the combination of claws adapted to engage both theinner and outer sides of the rails; with plates adapted to reduce thewidth of said claws, substantially as described.

11. In combination, opposite sleeves, the intermediate nuts, linksconnecting the sleeves and nuts, and forming a toggle, a doubleendedscrew engaging said nuts, and rail-engaging devices attached to saidsleeves, substantially as described.

12. In combination, a rod, sleeves movable thereon, nuts at oppositesides of said rod, links pivotally connecting the sleeves and nutsforming a toggle; a double-ended screw engaging said nuts, and oppositerail-engaging devices, connected to said sleeves, substantially asdescribed.

13. In combination with a rail-engaging claw having a recess in its faceabove the rail, a series of plates hinged in said recess, and adapted tobe turneddown to reduce the width of the claw-grip, substantially asdescribed.

14. In a track-tool, the combination of a claw adapted to engage theinner and outer sides of the rails, and having a recess, plates in saidrecess adapted to be turned into position to engage one side of therails to narrow the grip of said claw, and a spring adapted to hold saidplates in either position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW P. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

E. L. GARnE'rsoN, FREDERIC J. SHAW.

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